At the Wiradjuri Aboriginal Preschool in Griffith, the majority of the students are from the Wiradjuri tribe.

Director Kate Thurston, who has been teaching at the school for 25 years, said it’s very important to include the language in teachings at the school, particularly as the language is fading away.

“A lot of people have lost it – they don’t speak it anymore,” Ms Thurston said.

She said the reason for this is because many weren’t taught to speak the language

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Ms Thurston said it’s difficult to teach the language

“I found it difficult to roll the rs,” she said.

While she did say it’s not as common as it used to be – teaching the language in Griffith – she said there are other schools that teach the language or Aboriginal languages.

“In Parkes, in the primary sector, they teach it.”

Ms Thurston said the student “test” the teachers, as some of them know more of the language than the teachers themselves.

“Once they know the words, they test you – they actually have to remind you.”

They teach colours, numbers up to 10, as well as other words.

“We try to include it every day – it needs to be done every day, otherwise it’s so easily forgotten,” she said.

The school uses a Wiradjuri dictionary and app to help teach the children, and the teachers typically teach words the children are more familiar with first, such as “dog” which translates to “mirri” in the Wiradjuri language.

“We started off with animals, because children connected really well with the animals,” Ms Thurston said.

Mother Sophie Maher said she sends her son Kade Simpson to the school as he is part of the Wiradjuri tribe.

“He’s Wiradjuri himself and all his family,” Ms Maher said.

“I like him to learn about his culture as he’s growing up.”

Ms Thurston said the school combines NAIDOC Week and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day for August 3.